6.28.2009

Ghost-B-Gone

About a week ago as I was tucking Braden in for the night he told me that he wanted the light on because he was afraid of the monsters and the ghosts.

Number 1: he can't have ANY sort of light in his room or he just stays up playing... even if it is a tiny night light. There were many a night I found him asleep, surrounded by toys curled up on the floor by the wall socket.

Number 2: Although he has said this in the past to stall and find a way to keep me in his room, that particular night he seemed to be serious.

It was kinda late, and I was rather tired. But out of the corner of my cluttered mind a line from one of my favorite books The Mother's Almanac. This book was the subject of one of my very first posts back in January of 2007. And it has probably been that long since I have read it. But in that moment I remembered some of its advice. That it is impossible to rationally argue with children that ghosts and monsters under their bed don't exist. You have to find some way of making them go away. I think they suggested doing the "monster B gone dance" - clap three times and jump in a circle - something like that.

I knew Braden wasn't going to buy that. So I told him I would go get the Monster and Ghost repellent. I explained it worked like mosquito repellent (which he is schooled in). As I walked from his room to go retrieve the spray it dawned on me that I had to think of something pretty quick. I couldn't use any bottle he would recognize or then the jig would be up. No glass cleaner or bug spray or perfume or Fabreez...etc etc.

Halfway down the hall I remembered I had a medium sized glass bottle of fancy room and sheet spray my friend Melanie gave me years ago... I had been saving it for special occasions... well, three years later the bottle was still full...

It had a plain label with hardly any writing. It was under the bathroom sink.

It worked light a charm. I was/am the hero. Every night now after prayers and song I spray the Monster and Ghost repellent. Under, over and to the sides of the bed. Under the dresser and bookcase, one squirt behind the reading chair and FOUR in the closet... because that is their source.

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